Hoboken's Turtle Club adds music and literature to the menu

Val Emmich performs at Hoboken's new Turtle Club, formerly the site of the Goldhawk

936 Park Avenue in Hoboken used to be home to the Goldhawk (and before that, the Liquid Lounge,) neighborhood bars that presented live, original music on a regular basis. But new ownership recently turned the space into The Turtle Club, a toney restaurant that taps into Hoboken's Revolutionary War past by invoking the Mile Square City's first-ever social club, whose membership included founding fathers Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, and John Jay.

Renovations have opened the space up - floor to ceiling windows, tiled floors, sturdy wooden fixtures and tables to reflect the 18th Century theme - and the Goldhawk's comfy couches, overstuffed chairs, and small stage are gone. But at least for one night, music returned to the space's back room, with an acoustic performance this past Thursday by local singer/songwriter Val Emmich, as well as a reading by Hoboken-based author Kate Rockland from her new novel, "Falling Is Like This."

"We brought in a small sound system, added a spotlight to make it a little more cozy, and moved some tables around," Emmich explained. "I think it works."

And indeed it did, as an overflow crowd gladly paid the five-dollar cover and crammed elbow to elbow into the Turtle Club's back room - usually reserved for diners enjoying a menu of salads, paninis, and moderately priced entrees like baked rigatoni, blackened tilapia, and baby back ribs.

"We'll have to talk to the owners and see if they liked it, but I can definitely see doing more shows here," Emmich added.

Although still boyish and unassuming in his demeanor, Emmich's a ten-year veteran of the Hoboken music scene who's released half a dozen albums, as well as an actor whose credits include recurring roles on television's "Ugly Betty" and "30 Rock." With just his acoustic guitar as accompaniment, Emmich performed a wide-ranging selection of songs from his back catalog, mostly in the style of romantic ballads with a hint of whimsy. Like the late Tim Buckley, Emmich has a beautiful falsetto that he uses effortlessly to add exhilarating crescendos to his story songs. Audience members had voted on an online poll before the show to pick their favorites, so the set list included a few surprises, including the uptempo "Absolutely Still" (covered recently by major label pop group Better Than Ezra,), the downbeat "Eastern Standard Time," and an old favorite from Emmich's first solo album, "Shock." He also threw in his cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl," which he had performed in an episode of "Ugly Betty."

Val Emmich performing at the new Turtle Club in Hoboken

In between Emmich's sets, author and rock journalist Kate Rockland did readings from her first novel, "Falling Is Like This," a charming first-person narrative about a young writer who falls in love with a bad-boy musician. Rockland, though seemingly a bit nervous to be speaking in public, cajoled the crowd with her self-deprecating sense of humor and her wry observations about the vagaries of dating in the age of Facebook and iPhones.

For more information about the Turtle Club - including fascinating historical details about the original Hoboken social club in 1796 - visit www.hobokenturtleclub.com. For more on Val Emmich, including upcoming shows, visit his website, valemmich.com. Kate Rockland's novel is on sale at amazon.com